Page 1 of 3

Lloyd’s Register Rulefinder 2011 – Version 9.15

Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers,July 2010 - Chapter 10 Hull Outfitting - Section 3 Equipment - 3.
Equipment - 3.5 Towlines and mooring lines

3.5 Towlines and mooring lines

3.5.1. General

The towlines having the characteristics defined in Tab 3 are intended as those belonging to the ship to be towed by a
tug or another ship.

3.5.2. Materials

Towlines and mooring lines may be of wire, natural or synthetic fibre or a mixture of wire and fibre. The breaking loads
defined in Tab 3 refer to steel wires or natural fibre ropes.

Steel wires and fibre ropes are to be tested in accordance with the applicable requirements in the applicable
requirements of the Society’s Rules for Materials.

3.5.3. Steel wires

Steel wires are to be made of flexible galvanised steel and are to be of types defined in Tab 4.

Where the wire is wound on the winch drum, steel wires to be used with mooring winches may be constructed with an
independent metal core instead of a fibre core. In general such wires are to have not less than 186 threads in addition
to the metallic core.

Table 3 Towlines and mooring lines

Equipment number Towline (1) Mooring lines
EN
A< EN ≤B
A B Minimum length,in Breaking load,in N Length of each line, Breaking load,in
m kN (2) in m kN
50 70 180 98.1 3 80 34
70 90 180 98.1 3 100 37
90 110 180 98.1 3 110 39
110 130 180 98.1 3 110 44
130 150 180 98.1 3 120 49
150 175 180 98.1 3 120 54
175 205 180 112 3 120 59
205 240 180 129 4 120 64
240 280 180 150 4 120 69
280 320 180 174 4 140 74
320 360 180 207 4 140 78
360 400 180 224 4 140 88
400 450 180 250 4 140 98
450 500 180 277 4 140 108
500 550 190 306 4 160 123
550 600 190 338 4 160 132
600 660 190 371 4 160 147
660 720 190 406 4 160 157
720 780 190 441 4 170 172
780 840 190 480 4 170 186

mk:@MSITStore:C:\Program%20Files%20(x86)\Lloyd's%20Register\Rulefinder\9.15... 12.11.2015
 Page 2 of 3

840 910 190 518 4 170 201

910 980 190 550 4 170 216
980 1060 200 603 4 180 230
1060 1140 200 647 4 180 250
1140 1220 200 692 4 180 270
1220 1300 200 739 4 180 284
1300 1390 200 786 4 180 309
1390 1480 200 836 4 180 324
1480 1570 220 889 5 190 324
1570 1670 220 942 5 190 333
1670 1790 220 1024 5 190 353
1790 1930 220 1109 5 190 378
1930 2080 220 1168 5 190 402
2080 2230 240 1259 5 200 422
2230 2380 240 1356 5 200 451
2380 2530 240 1453 5 200 481
2530 2700 260 1471 6 200 481
2700 2870 260 1471 6 200 490
2870 3040 260 1471 6 200 500
3040 3210 280 1471 6 200 520
3210 3400 280 1471 6 200 554
3400 3600 280 1471 6 200 588
3600 3800 300 1471 6 200 612
3800 4000 300 1471 6 200 647
4000 4200 300 1471 7 200 647
4200 4400 300 1471 7 200 657
4400 4600 300 1471 7 200 667
4600 4800 300 1471 7 200 677
4800 5000 300 1471 7 200 686
5000 5200 300 1471 8 200 686
5200 5500 300 1471 8 200 696
5500 5800 300 1471 8 200 706
5800 6100 300 1471 9 200 706
6100 6500 9 200 716
6500 6900 9 200 726
6900 7400 10 200 726
7400 7900 11 200 726
7900 8400 11 200 735
8400 8900 12 200 735
8900 9400 13 200 735
9400 10000 14 200 735
10000 10700 15 200 735
10700 11500 16 200 735
11500 12400 17 200 735
12400 13400 18 200 735
13400 14600 19 200 735
14600

mk:@MSITStore:C:\Program%20Files%20(x86)\Lloyd's%20Register\Rulefinder\9.15... 12.11.2015
 Page 3 of 3

16000 21 200 735

(1) The towline is not compulsory. It is recommended for ships having length not greater than 180 m.
(2) See [3.5.4].

Table 4 Steel wire composition

Breaking load BL, in Steel wire components
kN
Number of Ultimate tensile strength of threads, in Composition of wire
threads N/mm2
BL< 216 72 1420 ÷ 1570 6 strands with 7-fibre
core
216 < BL< 490 144 1570 ÷ 1770 6 strands with 7-fibre
core
BL > 490 216 or 222 1770 ÷ 1960 6 strands with 1-fibre
core

3.5.4. Number of mooring lines

When the breaking load of each mooring line is greater than 490 kN, either a greater number of mooring lines than
those required in Tab 3 having lower strength, or a lower number of mooring lines than those required in Tab 3 having
greater strength may be used, provided the total breaking load of all lines aboard the ship is greater than the value
defined in Tab 3.

In any case, the number of lines is to be not less than 6 and the breaking load of each line is to be greater than 490 kN.

3.5.5. Length of mooring lines

The length of individual mooring lines may be reduced by up to 7% of the length defined in Tab 3, provided that the
total length of mooring lines is greater than that obtained by adding the lengths of the individual lines defined in Tab 3.

3.5.6. Equivalence between the breaking loads of synthetic and natural fibre ropes

Generally, fibre ropes are to be made of polyamide or other equivalent synthetic fibres.

The equivalence between the breaking loads of synthetic fibre ropes BLS and of natural fibre ropes BLN is to be
obtained, in kN, from the following formula:

where:

δ : Elongation to breaking of the synthetic fibre rope, to be assumed not less than 30%.

Copyright 2011 Lloyd's Register, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved.
Lloyd's Register, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as the
'Lloyd's Register Group'. The Lloyd's Register Group assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by
reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Lloyd's Register Group
entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.

mk:@MSITStore:C:\Program%20Files%20(x86)\Lloyd's%20Register\Rulefinder\9.15... 12.11.2015